


An Alien Named Mercutio

by vinniebatman



Series: An Alien Named Mercutio [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Awesome Darcy Lewis, Darcy Lewis Is a Good Bro, Darcy is the fandom bicycle and I love it, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-14
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2018-12-29 21:57:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12094257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vinniebatman/pseuds/vinniebatman
Summary: Or, how Darcy ended up in Antarctica with a sprained ankle while being courted by a really tall dude.Or: I love Darcy, and I love Karl Urban, so they should get together.Note:  I rewrote this story; for a more fleshed out version of this story, please see An Alien Named Mercutio Part 1: Redux





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [beetle](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beetle/gifts).



> So warnings for MASSIVE amounts of hand waving. Ragnarok hasn't come out yet, so I'm literally just making this shit up. But I love Karl Urban, and I love Darcy, so this is what you lucky bastards get. Also, major handwaving about Asgardians, etc. because in the comics, Skurge weighs 1100 pounds and that just won't work in this story.

Darcy was submerged in the bathtub up to her earlobes. The almost-too-hot water soothed her aching muscles and was banishing the lingering cold from her bones.  As soon as she had gotten back to the research station, she had marched (well, limped) straight to her shared bathroom and into the bathtub.  A knock came from the door leading to Jane’s room 

“If you need to pee, Jane, you’ll have to wait. I am never leaving this bathtub.”

The pocket door slid open a few inches.  Jane stuck her arm in, a red travel mug in her hand.  “I bring an offering.”

“Very well, you may enter.”

Jane opened the door fully, then hobbled in using one crutch.  She quickly shut the door, trapping the heat inside before dropping onto the small bench beside the tub.

“So, warmed up yet?”

“Getting there.”

“Here, this’ll help,” Jane replied, offering the travel mug.

“Coffee?”

“Hot chocolate with Baileys.”

“Nice.”  Darcy accepted the cup and took a swig, moaning in delight.  “This will definitely help with the cold, though not so much with the soreness.”

“No kidding.  Medical weighed the guy after taking off his armor. He weighed almost 260 kilos.”

“Ah yes kilos.  And that equals what in American?”

Jane laughed.

“Hey, polisci grad here; never really needed to learn measurement conversions and stuff.”

“Very true.  He weighs close to 570.”

“Jesus, no wonder my back is sore,” Darcy muttered, taking another healthy swig of the doctored cocoa.  “So he’s definitely Asgardian?”

Jane scoffed.  “No, but they won’t listen to me.  They think he is, so they’re running his DNA.  But while Asgardians do have increased bone and muscle density, based on the guy’s size, if he were Asgardian, he’d be closer to 400 instead of 600.”

“And you would be the woman to ask, seeing how much time you’ve spent under and on top of an Asgardian.”

Jane laughed, her cheeks pinking.  Darcy shut her eyes and leaned back, enjoying the warmth spreading from the drink.  

“I’m so glad you’re okay, Darce.”

Darcy opened her eyes, frowning.  “I’m fine.”

“I know. But I worry about you. I was in the security office trying to convince them to drive me out there when Daniel called in.  I know you can handle yourself, but youre my best friend, I worry about you.”

Darcy smiled, reaching out a hand to squeeze Jane’s.  “You sap.

As Jane laughed, a man's voice broke in, this time from Darcy’s room.

“Hey Darcy, can I come in?” 

“Dude, I’m bathing!” Darcy yelled.

“Dude, you know I honestly don’t want to see anything.”

“Fine!”  

The door opened and Daniel Taylor, one of the security guards, squeezed into the bathroom; one advantage to working for Stark Industries was that, even in Antarctica, the digs were pretty nice for a research station.  They even had attached bathrooms instead of some communal monstrosity down the hall.  But there was still only so much room, and three people was officially too many to squeeze into the bathroom.

“So, who’s on first?” Darcy asked.

Daniel grinned, his smile bright and dimpled against the dark umber of his skin.  He held out a travel mug.  “I come bearing a gift and a question.”

“What is it?” Darcy asked, nodding her chin toward the mug.

“Baileys and cocoa.”

Darcy nodded imperiously.  “Acceptable.  You may proceed with your questioning.”

“The guy woke up.”

“Seriously?!  D idn’t Stark design those rounds to take out Thor?” Darcy muttered.

“Yeah, so we’re pretty sure he’s something else.  But he didn't say much. He just wanted to know why ‘hot’ means ‘cold’ on Midgard.”

Darcy’s frowned, thinking, before her face suddenly flamed red, adding to warm flush already across her skin.  Apparently he'd heard her rambling.

Instead of replying, she sank down until the water covered the top of her head.

_ Fuck my life _ .

 

 


	2. I Will Survive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three hours earlier....

**Three Hours Earlier**

_“Oh no not I, I will survive_

_Oh as long as I know how to love,_

_I know I'll stay alive!”_

Darcy wasn’t great with measurements; the abstract concepts of “100 feet” or “a quarter mile” didn’t make much sense to her.  She couldn’t visualize it without having a frame of reference, like “half the distance of a football field” or “one city block”. Of course, those references were useless in Antarctica, since everything was just a big white nothing a far as the eye could see.  So Darcy judged distance by songs.  It was one full rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” (including the musical refrains), “Safety Dance”, “Like a Virgin,” and “I Will Survive” from the research station to the antenna, with Daniel occasionally singing along from the front of the snowmobile.

She was stuck in Antarctica indefinitely, and it was all Jane’s fault.  Her antenna was meant to replicate some of the energy signals generated by the Bifrost, which would give Jane a better understanding of how it functioned.  The downside was that its energy could attract the attention of aliens, which kind of freaked everyone out.   With no other alternative, Jane had taken her research to Tony Stark, and they’d ended up in Antarctica.

As Darcy finished belting out Gloria Gaynor, they reached the hill the antenna sat atop. Daniel slowly drove around what he could of the perimeter.

“So, what do you think?”

“It all looks the same to me,” Darcy said, shrugging.

“Should we check the darkside?” Daniel asked.

Darcy looked up the hill and sighed.  Most of the hill could be circumnavigated easily, but the backside couldn’t.  It was rugged terrain, with too many boulders to drive the snowmobile on, and the incline was too steep for two riders to go up on the snowmobile.  For the most part, the monitoring of the antenna was done from the research station. But last night, Jane’s system had freaked out, showing serious indications of Bifrost activity.  

Darcy groaned.  “Stupid Jane’s stupid bleepy machine.”

“Stupid Antarctica,” Daniel added with a chuckle, turning the snowmobile off.  After two months, he was used to Darcy’s good-natured grumbling, and had in fact learned to speak Darcy.  “I’d rather be in the security office watching last nights game.”

“Or home with your family. But at least Stark makes it worth your while to go to the ass end of nowhere for three months.”

“No kidding.  They even put the money into a trust so we wouldn’t have to deal with it.”

“That’s what I love about Tony,” Darcy said as she climbed off the snowmobile. “He knows he’s a pain in the ass, but he owns up to it and makes sure it’s all worth our while.”

“Plus the superhero stuff,” Daniel added, standing.

“Eh, yeah, that too.”

They grabbed their packs from the sled they’d towed out and pulled them on.

“Dude, why does it have to be so heavy?” Darcy grumbled.  “Oh yeah, that’s right. We need to have a week’s supply of stuff in case Antarctica tries to kill us! Although I guess I shouldn’t whine; you’re carrying all of the heavy stuff.”

Daniel looked down at her and laughed.  Darcy couldn’t see anything behind his scarf and jacket hood, but she could easily imagine his smile.

“Shall we?” Daniel asked, nodding his head toward the antenna as he offered his arm.  Darcy grinned and took his arm.  Without further discussion, they began trudging up the slope, Darcy’s pants _zhush_ ing in time with her steps. _Stupid Jane’s stupid sprained ankle_ , she thought.

“Dude, you are the only other good thing about being in Antarctica.”

“Thanks, Darce. You're pretty cool too.”

“I swear, you are, like, my Antarctica bro of bros, the Mushu to my Mulan, the Abbot to my Costello.

“Same.”

“And it’s not just ‘cause you’re nice, which you are.   A lot of people just treat me like I’m the extra toe on Jane's foot of science; there, but unnecessary and in the way.”

“That’s because they’ve never seen Jane work.  Without you, her research wouldn’t get done as quickly or efficiently.  And Jane would probably go full mad scientist.”

“Aww, thanks bud.  You are an awesome sundae with a kick ass cherry on top!”

Daniel laughed again, giving Darcy a chance to catch her breath before speaking again.  “So, any updates from Michael or Lena?”

She could hear the smile in Daniel’s voice as he began talking about his husband and daughter.  “Michael and I spoke yesterday.  He applied for the job you told me about.”

Darcy pumped her fist.  If Michael got the job, he would be a part of Stark Industries, likely assigned to the Cherry Spring research facility in Pennsylvania. Which just so happened to be where Jane and Darcy would be staying for _at least_ six months, reviewing results once they left Antarctica.

“He got a call back for a second interview yesterday, but he hasn’t heard anything yet.”

“Cool cool.  And little Miss Lena?” she panted out. Talking took precious oxygen from her, but it made the hike easier.  

Daniel laughed.  “Lena’s new favorite word is apparently ‘shit,’ so my brother’s in serious trouble.”

“Ah, toddlers: the parrots of the human world.”

“Ain’t that the truth.”  

The sun was low in the sky, with cold winds sending the snow twirling into the air.  The landscape was stark, but beautiful.  Darcy could appreciate it’s barren beauty; it was pretty peaceful at the bottom of the Earth.  It felt fresh, clean in a way life wasn’t.

Daniel’s radio squawked at them, breaking the peace.  He fell out of step and pulled the radio from his pouch.  He paused to answer, but Darcy kept walking.  With Daniel’s stupid tall legs, he would catch up in no time.  As she crested the slope of the hill, Darcy turned back to wave at Daniel.  He gave her a thumbs up and slowly started moving toward her, his focus on the walkie talkie.

Looking down the backside of the hill, Darcy paused. The hill led down into a small, craggy valley, boulders scattered about and covered with snow. She was looking for anything abnormal indicating the Bifrost had touched down. Nothing seemed amiss, but something was off, something seemed _wrong_.  Crap. She had to go down there.

Darcy dropped her head back. “Damn it, Jim!”

She gave herself 5 seconds to pout and grumble, then trudged down the slope, eyes sweeping back and forth, searching.  As she neared  the base, the oddity became clear.  There was a large, circular depression on the ground, with snow drifts ringing the large circle.  The circle was was covered with only a few inches of snow.  From the hill, it all looked like white snow.  But up close, she could see the differing levels of snowfall.  Darcy kept moving until she reached the outer edge of the circle. Squatting down between two boulders, she brushed away the thin layer of snow.  Beneath it was the distinctive patterning of a Bifrost scar.

“Okay, so that’s officially a something,” she muttered.  Standing, she grabbed her radio, her gloved fingers slipping on the dials.  Finally, it shrieked to life.

“Snowman, this is Bandit. Come in, Snowman. I found something, over!”

Jane’s voice crackled to life.   _“Where, Darcy?”_

Darcy didn’t answer.

_“Darcy?”_

“New phone, who dis, over?” she finally offered.

 _“Fine.”_ Jane’s groan was audible through the static. _“Bandit, this is Snowman.  What’s your 10-4 good buddy? Over.”_

Darcy grinned, allowing herself a quick victory jig. “Well Snowman, I found a Bifrost scar near the antenna.”  

“ _Really?! Oh god, that’s amazing! Okay,_ _just avoid the Bifrost scar until I can get out there to take some readings! Over.”_

“Okay, but you’ll have to bring someone to haul your busted ass around; it’s on the darkside of the hill.”

_“Well crap. Okay, I’ll figure something out.”_

“I suggest an old-school litter carried by the muscliest of the muscle heads. In skin-tight snow suits.”

_“Agreed.  Okay, I’ll head out right away.  See you in a bit.”_

“That's a 10-4, good buddy, over and out.”

She tucked the radio back into the pouch strapped to her chest, grinning. She turned away, looking up at the slope. Daniel was hiking down toward her, radio in hand.

“Dude, I found something!” Darcy yelled.  “I am totally gonna beg the Inge-Lise to bake us something chocolatey tonight!”

Daniel's laugh echoed across the snow.  The happy sound had barely faded before he suddenly tensed, reaching for his weapon as he broke into a run.   _Ah crap._ Darcy’s stomach dropped; this was bad.

“Darcy! Get away from there!” he shouted.

 _Run,_ her mind screamed, _Don't turn around, just fucking run!_  That split second seemed eternal; as she swallowed hard, her body finally began to obey. She raised her leg, only for a heavy hand with an iron grip to drop on her shoulder.

 _OHFUCKOHFUCKOHFUCKOHFUCK._ She glanced over her shoulder and looked up… and up… and up. She found herself meeting the angry, hazel scowl of an Thor-sized man, his lips blue and skin covered in snow and ice crystals. And of course she’d left her taser at the station.

“Oh, shit,” she whimpered.  BigScaryTallGuy’s grip was firm, but not painful, urging her to turn.  She turned around and looked up at him.  Christ, he was massive, bigger than Thor, even.  He parted his blue lips, drawing in ragged breath.

“Wh-where?” he ground out. His voice sounded like boulders over gravel.

“Where, you mean where are you?” she squeaked.

BigScaryTallGuy nodded.

“Earth, you know, Midgard.”

BSTG clenched his jaw, nostrils flaring as he glowered.  He was already bigger than her, probably stronger, and now he looked pissed.

“Oh fuck,” Darcy whimpered.  A survival instinct reared its head, urging flight.  Darcy jerked away from him and kicked directly at BSTG’s crotch.  Pain screamed through her ankle as it hit armor, but Darcy was focused on him.  A touch of color reached his cheeks, and a his face darkened in rage.  Before BSTG could do anything, the loud crack of Daniel’s gun sounded twice in rapid succession.  BSTG dropped to ground as Daniel reached her, his not-really-a-gun!gun still trained on BSTG.  

“Man, I really hope that guy’s Asgardian,” Daniel muttered.  “Otherwise, he’s taking a nice long nap for a couple weeks.”

Daniel pulled out his radio, gun held steady on BSTG.

“Base, this is Taylor.  Have made contact with an unknown, possibly Asgardian subject. Repeat, have made contact with possible Asgardian.”

“ _Taylor, this is Church. You found an Asgardian? Is he a friendly?”_

“Unknown.  He grabbed Lewis, so I hit him with two rounds. Please send a snowcat for pickup, ASAP.”

“ _Will do, but can you get him on the sled and meet us?  We should be fine, but we don’t want to risk the storm.”_

“Roger.  We’ll load him up and head back to base.”

Darcy listened, half paying attention, half focussed on the guy.  She could see his beard, yet under the snow and ice, it was hard to see too much detail. But he was covered with large pieces of armor that made the dude look even bigger.

“Okay, so, storm?” she asked once Daniel had ended the conversation.

“Yeah, it turned.  Shouldn’t hit for a couple hours, but he radioed earlier to warn me to hurry up.”

Darcy looked up at the snow covered hill and winced.  “So, we have to drag him up the hill, don’t we?”

Daniel looked down at the man, then back up at the hill.  “Fuck.  Well, if it’s just me, I should be able to get the snowmobile up the hill, but you’ll have to watch him.  You okay with that?”

“Do I get to keep the gun?”

“Oh yeah.”

Darcy nodded and reached out for the gun. She checked the safety and then limped away to rest on a boulder.  There was ten feet between her and BSTG, and she wasn’t taking her eyes off him. She kept her gaze locked as Daniel headed back up the hill.  After a few minutes, it got quiet, then boring. Her ipod wasn’t an option; she would just get distracted. So she started to fidget.

If anyone had been around, they might have been able to pick out the rhythm as she _zhush zhush zhush_ ed her legs together to the rhythm of “Like a Prayer”. So far, she hadn’t seen so much as a muscle twitch on BSTG.

“You know what, you need a name, dude.  Big Scary Tall Guy is kind of a mouthful.  Let’s see…. Something old timey, cause Asgardians have old timey name, right?  Hm.  How about… Horatio?”  Darcy squinted her eyes, then shook her head.  “Nah, you don’t seem like a Horatio.

She paused to yawn, then stretch.  “What about… Prospero? He was a sort of a sorcerer.” She pursed her lips, considering, and shook her head.  "Eh, you look more fighty than magicy.  And he was old, whereas are you are, objectively, younger looking.  And kinda hot. 10 out of 10, would bone if you weren’t so terrifying.”

Darcy took a breath and let it out in one long, slow exhale between her lips.  “How about Mercutio? He was pretty cool, and you totally look like someone who’d end up in a duel.”

Darcy nodded to herself.  “Mercutio it is.  You know, he was my favorite character in the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ Baz Luhrmann did.  That actor was awesome.  I loved that movie when I was younger.  Of course, then I grew up, and I was more of a ‘Daria’ fan.  Which is funny, ‘cause I always thought of myself as Jane, and now I work for a Jane.  Ah, fate, you crafty son of a bitch.”

The sound of the snowmobile reaching the top of this hill drew her attention.  Darcy got to her feet, wincing at the pain in her ankle, and brushed the snow from her backside.  “Well Mercutio, now is the winter of our schlepping.”

* * *

After bathing, Darcy’s ankle felt even worse.  All she wanted was to sleep, but the good drugs and bandages were all in the med bay.  She struggled into a clean sports bra, thermal underclothes, and then pulled on her fleece pajama bottoms and a sweatshirt.  She tied her wet hair back in a ponytail, shoved her feet into her slippers, and began limping out of her room.

“Fuck,” she panted, leaning against the wall beside her room. Her ankle was killing her.

“Are you alright, Ms. Lewis?”

Darcy looked over to find Dr. Pradesh, the botanist who was studying dangers spores and plants.  He was an old, tiny Indian man, and usually ignored her, always talking to Jane, not Darcy.  But he was distracted rude, not mean rude.  

“Yeah, just need to get to med bay.”

“Would you like some help?”

“Yes, please.”  

Dr. Pradesh ducked under her outstretched arm and held her body tightly to his.  “So, how were you injured?”

“Well, pro tip doc: if a giant, scary alien guy in armor looks ready to punch you, don’t try to kick him in the balls.  It does _not_ end well.”

Dr. Pradesh let out a sharp bark of laughter.  “Very good advice, Ms. Lewis.  I will be sure to tell my daughters.”

The medical bay was located 100 feet away, the closest lab space to the sleeping quarters.  Dr. Pradesh began talking about a new spore he was studying, and though his explanation was rather dull, it was enough to keep them from falling into an awkward silence.  When they finally reached the med bay, the door was flanked by two security guards.

“What happened, Lewis? Slip in the bathroom?” Church asked.  Darcy hadn’t bothered to learn Church’s first name.  He was one of the jerk guards who complained about having to deal with “useless personnel.”   

“Ninjas, actually,” she ground out.  Her ankle was starting to really hurt.

“Apparently fighting aliens is not recommended for physical health,” Pradesh added.  Darcy looked at him.  He was a generally friendly guy; she had never heard his voice sound so cold before.

The smirk dropped from Church’s face, then he glanced at Darcy’s pained grimace and winced.  

“Spaceman is in there, so let me see if you should go in or if the doc wants to come out.”

Church opened the metal door and stuck his head in.  After a few moments of quiet conversation, Dr. Zheng, the staff M.D., opened the door all the way.

“This way, Miss Lewis,” she said.

“Don’t worry, Dr. Pradesh, I got her,” the second guard (Meyers, Beyers, she couldn’t remember) offered.  He took Darcy’s arm from the small Indian scientist, and half carried her into the room before helping her sit on the bed Zheng has indicated.  When the guard left, Darcy was treated to clear shot of Mercutio sitting in the bed farthest from hers, two security guards stationed near him.  His eyes were on her, focused and still.  He didn’t look super pissed, but hell, who really knew?  He was slightly less imposing out of his armor and in a hospital gown, but he was still massive, his ankles resting on the footboard of the bed.  Two thick lines curved over his skull, dark green against bare skin. _Tattoo, maybe?_  Darcy gave him her most apologetic grin and waved.

“Hey man, sorry about that, but you were kind of freaking me out.  And I’m pretty sure it hurt me more than it hurt you,” she said, nodding at her ankle. His eyes darted down to her ankle; Zheng had rolled the duck-covered pajama leg and thermal layer up, revealing the swollen and bruising flesh.

Dr. Zheng clucked her tongue as she began palpating the area.  “You should have gotten off your ankle as soon as you hurt it,” she chided.

Darcy snorted, grinning at the older woman. “Well, I wanted to, but enormous, unconscious warrior guys in heavy armor don’t move themselves.”

Darcy glanced over at Mercutio; the lines of his face had softened.  Apparently he wasn’t super pissed anymore.  She hissed sharply as ice touched her skin and looked back at Zheng.

Dr. Zheng shook her head. “True enough, though I don’t know how the two of you got him back here.”

Darcy raised an arm and flexed.  “Used my guns, Doc.  Moving Jane’s lab equipment isn’t for wimps.”

The doctor grinned.  “Well, the sprain if fairly mild, and should heal in 2 to 4 weeks with proper care.  Just make sure to rest it, ice it-.”

“2 to 3 times a day for no more than 30 minutes, don’t make the compression bandage too tight, and keep elevated,” Darcy recited.  “I’ll just follow Jane’s instructions, but times two.”

“Correct. I’ll wrap your ankle in a few minutes, then send you on your way with crutches. I’ll have someone drop a couple of cold compresses off at your room and some perscription strength ibuprofen."

“Thank you, Doctor, you’re good people.”

Zheng shook her head and walked away, leaving Darcy to recline on the bed and wait. She looked over at Mercutio again; he was laying back, eyes closed.  He looked relaxed.  And Darcy had been right; he was actually was pretty hot. He had a strong jawline, and a soft, plush lower lip.   But almost as though he could feel her gaze, he opened his eyes and looked right at her. Darcy flushed.

“So, dude, you got a name?” Darcy asked.

“He hasn’t been talking, Lewis, think he’s waiting to talk to someone important,” one guard offered.  Darcy rolled her eyes.

A quiet rumble drew Darcy’s attention, and she looked back at Mercutio.

“Did you say something?”

A far-too attractive smirk curled his lips.  “Mercutio; my name is Mercutio.”

Darcy groaned; that’s it, today was officially bullshit.  “Fuck my life.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mercutio keeps popping up when Darcy least expects him. And the mystery of Jane's sprained ankle is explained.

As forecasted, the storm had rolled in right before dinner Thursday night, cutting off transportation to and from the research station. According to dining room gossip, Tony had wanted to pick Mercutio up before SHIELD could, but it was a moot point with the inclement weather. The current estimate on the storm’s duration was 5 days.  When Darcy got up the next morning, Jane wasn’t in her bedroom, the scientist’s bed in the exact same messed state as it had been Thursday.  

_Great, another all nighter._

Darcy got ready for the day, dressing in flannel-lined jeans and her favorite hoodie (a t-rex trying to do a pushup), then hobbled out into the hallway.  She made the slow journey to the dining room, which was already filled with various personnel.  Daniel was seated with Dr. Pradesh, smiling politely; Darcy would bet dollars to donuts that he was talking up his husband’s application to SI in Cherry Springs.  She carefully made her way to the food service counter, going behind the it and skipping the short line.

“Inge-Lise, _hjælp mig._ ” Darcy begged for help, putting on her strongest puppy look.  Inge-Lise, the head cook, shook her head and smiled.

“ _Godt morgen,_ Darcy! You are well?” Darcy loved the way Inge-Lise dragged out her name: Dahr-seee.  It was cool.  Inge-Lise was in her mid-fifties, and treated Darcy almost like she was family.  

Darcy frowned in concentration; her Danish was rudimentary, at best.  “ _Jeg… har det godt._ ”  

Inge-Lise smiled widely.  “Jane is working?” she asked.

“Yep. I think she’s been there all night.”  

Ingle-Lise clicked her tongue.  “What for breakfast?”

Darcy frowned and looked down at the selection.  “Oatmeal with fruit and granola please.”  

“ _Ska du har kaffe_?”

“ _Ja tak!_ All of the coffee.”  Inge-Lise smiled and headed into the kitchen, returning a few moments later with a backpack.

“ _Vær så god_ , Darcy.  I will send someone with your lunch.”

“Thanks, Inge-Lise.  You are awesome.”

Inge-Lise smiled, but the expression turned into surprise, her eyebrows stretching up before furrowing into a frown.

“ _For satan_ ,” she cursed.  “I think we need more foods.”

Darcy turned around to see Beyers (Meyers?) walking in with Mercutio.   Mercutio was barefoot, dressed in a pair of sweats that stopped four inches above the ankle, and a tee shirt that was tightly stretched across his chest and shoulders.   _Okay, guess he doesn’t get cold.  And he still looks good, even in those ridiculous pants._ She glanced back at Inge-Lise.  “If he eats like Thor, then yes, yes you will.”  

Darcy pulled on the backpack and began lurching toward the entrance on her crutches.  As she passed by the end of the line, Mercutio frowned while simultaneously raising an eyebrow; it was a neat trick.  “Can I help you?” he asked.

Meyers’s head snapped toward Mercutio, eyes wide.  Darcy grinned; _this is better than t.v_.

“No thanks, I’ve got it.”  As she neared the exit, she offered Mercutio a small smile, then left.

 

* * *

Fridays were somewhat unique in the labs.  At the end of the work week, all researchers were required to upload any data or findings up to the SI mainframe in California.   Darcy was focused on the laptop before her, running a search on the data and correlating it with prior readings and Jane’s expected readings.  When the results popped up, Darcy quickly entered the data into the current week's field journal. Around noon, an alarm went off on Jane’s computer.

“What the-? Darcy, why is i-?”  Jane tapped on her computer, silencing the beeping.  “Oh, right, right, it’s Friday, I have to upload-.”

“On it, Janie.  I’m compiling the data report, and when that’s done, we can write out your brainy conclusions to sent it to Stark.”

“Oh, thank god.  I always forget about that,”Jane mumbled, before brightening.  “But that’s why I have a Darcy.  Every good scientist should have one.”

Darcy’s chest warmed.  Jane's mind was an amazing place, swirling with a near instinctual understanding of physics and the universe. It all made so much sense to her.  Most people couldn't understand Darcy’s importance to Jane, but Darcy knew that she was the best link between Jane’s brain and the world.  She was the Bifrost to Jane’s brilliance.  

“Yeah, well, someone has to remind you to eat.”

“Okay, yeah, that too.  But there is just _so much_ …” Jane trailed off, gesturing to dozens of pages of readouts and models pinned to the walls.  For all that Darcy ensured Jane ate and slept, she was also the organizing forced in Jane’s universe.  Given the intricate and ground breaking conclusions she came to, there was now a constant clamor for any new information.  Darcy was the one who organized the data and notes, who helped ghostwrite Jane’s papers.   There had been more than a few comments made regarding the increased readability of Jane’s publications.

“At least my poli sci student loans were good for something,” Darcy joked.  Jane shot her a dry, unimpressed gaze and coughed out: “lab management degree.”

“Thanks, mom,” Darcy murmured.  Jane stuck her tongue out at Darcy, then returned to her readings.  Darcy glared, then looked back at her keyboard.

Jane had been nagging Darcy about getting a laboratory management degree for a couple of years.  She maintained that it was pretty much what Darcy was already doing, so why not get a title and a larger paycheck? It was a reasonable argument, but Darcy was okay with the coasting speed she had reached.  At least for the time being.  Though she had been researching how to get the degree.

The lab’s door slid open with a _swish_.  Daniel walked in carrying a dining room tray, shadowed by a looming Mercutio who carried another tray.  Darcy’s eyebrows shot up.  Daniel handed off his tray to Jane, who immediately dug into her chicken wrap, while Mercutio set his in front of Darcy.

“Shouldn’t he be under lock and key or something?” Darcy asked, cautiously accepting her lunch.  Mercutio smirked.

“Well, Church did try to lock him in one of the labs last night.”

“And?”

“And the second they sealed the door, Mercutio here ripped that bastard open with his bare hands.”

“Oh damn.  Did they shoot him again?”

“No.  Green said Mercutio just smirked at Church, and then went and laid down.”

Darcy looked up at Mercutio.  “I do approve of anyone who trolls Church,” she commended, offering Mercutio an approving nod.  She looked over at Daniel.  “So we still don’t know what his real name is, but we do know that he officially has zero fucks to give.”

Daniel laughed.  “Yep.  He’s said, what, 5 words to you? That’s 5 more than he’s said to anyone else.”

“Well, it’s more like 10 now.  But I am sort of the universal little sister; non-threatening in my danger level, though somewhat annoying.  Though I do fear some manner of smiting since I did kick him in the junk.”

“I think that if there was gonna be any smiting, the smiter would have already smited the smitee.  Anyways,” Daniel continued, grinning, ”we’ve got someone following him wherever he goes, but short of continually shooting him, we can’t actually confine him anywhere in the station.”

“Somewhere, Tony Stark just stood up and said ‘have I been challenged?’ and he doesn’t even know why,” Darcy muttered.

Darcy bit into her pastrami; warm on a french roll.  “Oh God, I love Inge-Lise,” she moaned, taking a bite.

“Seriously, why does Inge-Lise make you guys special food? She has a huge sign in the dining room that say ‘no special requests’,” Daniel complained.

“Because Darcy is the best person ever,” Jane mumbled through a mouth full of food.  “You know that week you met Michael and Lena in Argentina? Inge-Lise got really sick, so Darcy helped out in the kitchen.”

“Jane helped out too,” Darcy added.  “Jane did dishes, but she kept flinging suds and water on the floor.”  Darcy smiled at the memory and looked away from Jane.  She glanced at Mercutio, who stared at her with a dark, inscrutable gaze.  Darcy wasn’t overly fond of people watching her eat, but a good sandwich was a good sandwich, regardless of Mercutio’s flat expression.

“Wait, is that how she sprained her ankle?” Daniel asked.

“Yeah,” Jane grumbled.  She returned her gaze back to her wrap.  “But it’s worth it; I love that Inge-Lise loves us,” she murmured around another bite of her wrap.

“Yep, I’m gonna write a guide book for the research station.  ‘Darcy Lewis’s guide to ingratiating yourself to the tiny, iron-fisted ruler of the kitchen.”

Daniel chuckled. “It’d be a bestseller.  Well, we’ll leave you to your science.”

Darcy watched as Daniel and the alien left the room, the door sliding shut behind them. They stopped outside the hall window into the lab as Church joined them. Darcy looked over at Jane.  “Are all aliens this hot?”

Jane looked up, cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk.  She scrunched her nose and shook her head.  Jane took a drink of water and swallowed.  “Remember the Chitauri?”

“Oh, yeah.  Well, at least we got a cute one.”

As Darcy turned to look back at Daniel, she found Mercutio staring at her.  And, yep, that was definitely a smirk.

_Well, fuck._

* * *

That evening, with no new readings for Darcy to work from and the report sent off to Stark Industries, she herded Jane into the the dining room for an early dinner, then bed.  She woke up the next morning to the sound of Jane’s shower singing.  She checked her alarm clock.

 _Huh, 8:12, this did not go as bad as I expected_.  Darcy hopped over to the door, opening it and chiming in.  

_“Because maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me_

_And after all, you're my wonderwall!”_

Jane peeked out from behind the shower curtain, her hair a giant sudsy pile atop her head.

“Morning, Darcy! I had an idea about -.”

“Jane, you always have an idea.  But breakfast first.”

Jane paused, then grinned. “Yes! Saturday breakfast!”

“Saturday breakfast!”

“Wait, do you need to shower first?”

“Nope, did it last night.”

“Awesome. Saturday breakfast!” Jane yelled.

“Saturday breakfast!”

* * *

Saturdays (and sundays) had the best breakfasts.  Inge-Lise went all out: scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon, sausage, hash browns, ful with pita bread, Danish rolls and cheese, and pastries.  During the week, most of the scientists would just grab food and run.  But on the weekends, everyone like to sit around and talk, enjoy the meal.  Luckily, Inge-Lise, being the kind overlord she was, would serve breakfast until 10:30 instead of the usual 9. So when Darcy and Jane got to the dining room, the room was only half full.

By the time they sat down (a kitchen worker abashedly carrying their food after Inge-Lise had yelled at him), it was just turning 9.  Jane muttered about her idea, half to herself and half to Darcy, as she ate pancakes rolled around sausages.  Darcy had opted for the ful; one of the kitchen workers was Aamira, a cook from Yemen; she liked to make the dish spicy so it was awesome and perfect for cold mornings.  As they stuffed their faces, someone set down a tray and pulled out the chair beside Darcy.  

She looked over and found Mercutio and a tray filled with food.  He nodded at her and Jane, then sat down.  As Mercutio ate, Church shot a longing glance over at the table where Brit, a tall, dark-haired Norwegian lab assistant sat.  Darcy smothered a smile as he sighed unhappily before sitting at the end of the table.

Darcy took a drink of coffee.  “Good morning,” she offered cheerily.  Mercutio was silent, while Church merely offered a disheartened “hey.”

Mercutio lifted a spoonful of the ful.

“Wait, dude, you’re supposed to use the pita bread.”

Mercutio frowned and looked at her.  Darcy held up a piece of her pita bread and scooped up some ful before eating it.  

“See, like that,” she offered after swallowing it down.  “It’s good, and the pita helps with the spicy.”  

Mercutio arched an eyebrow, but followed her instructions.  When he finished his first bite, he looked at Darcy.  He offered a small, sweet smile.  “Thank you,” he offered quietly.   _Seriously, he should not be this adorable and scary.  This is bullshit._

Darcy could feel herself starting to flush.  “Yeah, well.  No problem.”

Church huffed and crossed his arms, glaring at his breakfast.

* * *

 

By six o’clock that night, Darcy was done.  She’d helped Jane gather up the data she needed, but she had done all she could; the rest was up to Jane’s ginormous brain. A quick call to the security office and she was off to find her bro of bros. The station’s gym wasn't exceedingly large, but it had a decent amount of equipment and a narrow lap pool.  Only Stark would insist on a pool in the antarctic.  Daniel sat beside the pool, fully dressed in his customary fleece jacket and jeans.

“Don't you need gym clothes to work out?” she teased.

“Not if you're just watching.”   Daniel nodded toward the pool, where Darcy could see a long figure underwater, cutting through the water at an inhuman speed.

 _Damn it._ Mercutio always made her feel all giddy and blushy; it wasn’t a cool look.  And he often had that weird little smirk when he saw her. Darcy was sure he was either teasing her, or planning her death. She strongly suspected it was the latter.

“Well, I guess that puts the kibosh on my plans. I was going to bug you until you came with me for popcorn and a movie,” she said, lowering herself into the chair next to Daniel’s.

“But Saturday night _is_ movie night.  We still could, if you don’t mind him coming along.”

The water splashed as Mercutio surfaced.  With one smooth push, he was out of the pool and kneeling on the concrete floor.  And, yep, there was that smirk. But Darcy didn’t care this time.  Because those swim trunks were short and tight on him, and sweet sassy molassy, he was _ripped_. Like, Thor or Captain America ripped.  Darcy knew she was staring, but she couldn’t stop. Holy shitballs, the dude’s muscles had muscles, his chest and upper arms criss crossed with dark green tattoos.  She blinked and looked up, only to find Mercutio giving her a small, smug, grin that could only be described as “shit eating”. Oh, it was on. She narrowed her eyes.

“Not too shabby.  But not as nice as Thor.”  

Daniel made a choking noise beside her as Mercutio glared down at her, yet despite his lips being pressed together in a thin line, one side of his mouth was quirked up.  As he dried off, Darcy stood. 

“So, movie night’s a go?”

“Sure.  What movie?” Daniel asked.

Darcy scoffed.  “We’re trapped in Antarctica by a snowstorm and there’s an alien in the research station; there is only one choice.”

“‘The Thing?’”

“‘The Thing.’  I’ll meet you there in 10.” Darcy began hobbling out, then paused. “Okay, make it 15.  I should make sure Jane gets something to eat.  You boys can obtain the popcorn.”

Darcy arrived at the rec room twenty minutes later and looked around.  

“I have never seen the rec room this empty so early,” she remarked, stunned, as her eyes swept the empty room.

All but one of the couches were empty, the pool table and pinball machines unoccupied.  Mercutio (in what was both a blessing and a curse), was again fully dressed and seated in a recliner, while Daniel was sprawled on the couch closest to the television.  The movie was queued up, ready to start.  

“You should have seen it, Darce,” Daniel said, grinning.  “Green and Church wouldn’t give up the remote, so Mercutio just stood in front the t.v. and glared at them.  Church was fucking _pissed_. Tried acting tough, but our man here just stared them down  I swear to God, it was the scariest glare I’ve even seen.”

“Scarier than your husband’s?”

“Oh yeah.  There may be have been invisible eye beams involved, because Green and Church fucking bolted.”

Darcy looked at Mercutio and gave him a beatific smile.  “Just for that, you may partake of my super secret stash.”  She dug into the bulging pocket of her hoodie and pulled out a box of Junior Mints and a bag of gummy bears.  He took them, and he bowed his head, offering her a genuine, full fledged smile.  Which did not, in any shape or form, give Darcy butterflies in her -- oh fuck, was that a dimple? _Not fair._

She turned around and faced the television, attempting a certain degree of nonchalance.  Based on Daniel’s grin, it wasn’t working.

Darcy glared at him.  “Just shut up and start the movie.”  She turned and looked at Mercutio.  “Can you turn off the light?” she asked.  “You need to full movie theater experience for ‘The Thing.’”

Mercutio looked behind himself, and flicked off the light switch, darkening the room as Daniel started the movie.  

Darcy settled in, chewing on gummy bears and popcorn while willing herself not to watch their alien.  She mostly succeeded, and Mercutio observed the the movie with a neutral gaze. Almost like he was watching a nature documentary.  During the kennel scene, right as the alien dog's head split open, she glanced over. Mercutio sat stock still, his hand frozen halfway to his mouth, a Junior Mint pinched between his fingers as he gaped at the screen.

A grin split Darcy’s face; before she could look back at the screen, Mercutio looked at her. He arched an eyebrow then shook his head, ruefully.  He turned back to the movie and ate the piece of candy he held, quickly sucking the melted chocolate from his fingers.

Heat surged through Darcy, and she quickly snapped her head back toward the movie. Even with the gore onscreen, all Darcy could think was: _Sploosh._

* * *

By the time the movie ended, Daniel was asleep, snoring softly.  Darcy snickered as she tried to stand.

Mercutio was far more graceful, quickly standing and offering Darcy his hand.  Slowly, she took his hand; his hand was large, palm rough and layered with calluses.  He gently tightened his grip and carefully helped her stand. Once Darcy was steady, he bent down to retrieve the crutches, offering them to her.

“Thanks,” Darcy muttered. She looked up at him, ready to make a joke, but the words caught in her throat. His eyes were locked on her face, his expression open, relaxed.  He look comfortable, maybe even happy? As though he'd seen something he liked. Darcy quickly glanced away.

“So, did you like the gummy bears?” she asked, staring at the empty box of Junior Mints next to his chair.  Mercutio held up the mostly-full bag and frowned.

“The were… strange.”

A shiver ran up her spine; Darcy was struck by the sudden phantom sensation of that rumbling voice in her ear, against her throat, those calloused palms sliding across her skin…. His nostrils flared as he inhaled and his gaze darkened into something almost as terrifying as his anger: hunger.

 _Down girl!_ She cleared her throat. “And the movie?”

Mercutio blinked twice, breaking the spell. He smiled almost bashfully. “I would feel better if I had my axe.”

Darcy barked out a laugh. “The first time I watched this movie, I kept having to reassure myself that aliens weren't real. Can’t do that now.  But if there is an alien like that out there, please, never, _ever_ ,  tell me.”

Behind her, Darcy heard Daniel's snore cut off with a snort. “‘zit over?”

In the blink of an eye, Mercutio had stepped away and started gathering their garbage.

“It's over,” she said.  Darcy maneuvered herself around the couch and headed for the door. “Night, guys.”

“Night, Darce.”

As Darcy went passed Mercutio, she heard a soft, quiet “Good night.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, this isn't a chapter, this is just some authors notes stuff.

So I came across an article today about the new Thor movie.  Jane and Thor have broken up.  Jane's relationship with Thor was meant to be a background thing of some importance, referenced now and again.  So, I am rethinking some of the overall aspects of the story, and decided to give Jane a different love interest for the time being.

But since I hate new chapters that turn out to be just notes, I have included some fun stuff for you: the mental cast list for the original characters!

And in case you are curious, here are a couple of pics of Karl as Skurge:

 

 

 

Scary, no?

 

Daniel looks like Lamman Rucker

Inge-Lise looks like Brenda Blethyn, sweet enough, but has an iron core.

 

There is no real basis for Church, so he looks whatever frat bro douche you would prefer to see be terrified of Mercutio.

 

Green looks like Max Greenfield

Meyers looks more like your Sam Worthington type; attractive, but kinda bland.

  


There will be two new characters in the next chapter, but just so you are prepared:

 

Kwan (one of the security guys, a good dude) is Daniel Dae Kim.  Because unf.  So hot, and so capable. And just couldn’t see Church being in a position of power without fucking it up.  So I created Kwan.

Then I decided I needed a sixth security guard, so I decided on Romero (partly because yay George Romero, miss you dude, and partly because that was my great grandfather’s last name).  For him, I envision Nicholas Gonzales

 

 

Hope to have the next chapter up by next Friday, knock on wood.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darcy gets some bad news, throws a party, and gets some cuddles.

Sundays were usually Darcy’s favorite day of the week; they were lazy days where Darcy got up at 9, called her mom, ate a late breakfast, and spent the day bumming around the station.  Sundays were good days. But not, apparently, this Sunday.

“ _I’m so sorry, Darcy,”_ her mother sobbed.  

“No, mom, it's okay; you did what you could. We'll just wait and see.” Darcy swallowed around the lump in her throat. She paused to tilt her cell phone away from her mouth and took a shaky breath before speaking again. “I'm sure he'll be fine. Call Aunt Bekah, get something to eat. You can't do anything else right now.”

Rachel Lewis took a deep breath.  “ _I know, baby.  It’s just… I was supposed to take care of him.”_ Rachel’s voice broke, another volley of soft cries sounding.

“Mom, you’ve been there for fifteen hours.  Call Aunt Bekah, go home, get something to eat. You’ve done what you can.”

Rachel took a deep breath and calmed herself.  “ _You’re right; I’ll give her a call.”_

“Promise?”

“ _Promise. Go, eat your breakfast, Darcy._ ”

“I will, Mom.”

“ _Promise?”_

“Promise.”

“ _Okay. Take care, sweetie. Tell Jane hi_ . _I love you_.”

“Love you too.”

When her mom hung up, Darcy’s phone ended the call with a sad beep. She pulled her phone away and looked at the screen.  For a conversation lasting only twenty minutes, Darcy felt exhausted.  She laid back on her bed and stared up at the grey, metal ceiling.

 _He’ll be fine, he’ll be fine, he’ll be fine, he'll be fine..._. Darcy repeated the words over and over in in her head. But it didn't stop the tears running down her face and into her hair. After a few minutes, Darcy’s tears slowed, then stopped altogether. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to pull the blankets over herself and sleep the day away.  But Jane would notice if she disappeared.  Darcy checked her phone; it was almost ten; breakfast would end in half an hour.

Sounding almost angry, her stomach let out a growl. _Fuck. Time to face the world._ With a heavy sigh, Darcy rolled out of bed.  She stared down at her daytime tee shirt and thermal undershirt, paired with her fleece pajama bottoms.  She'd been getting dressed when she’d called her Mom to catch up on the week.

 _I should put on real pants and shoes, go full-adult._ A shaky breath rattled through her, tears welling up again. _Fuck it._

Darcy limped into the bathroom and glanced at the mirror;  her face was red and splotchy, eyes puffy.  She sighed again and washed her face with cold water. After her face was clean, she kept splashing her skin, again and again until the icy water made her face numb.   _Okay, hopefully I won’t look like a tomato._ She avoided looking in the mirror and went back into her room. She grabbed her crutches and moved to the door.

 _Alright, Darcy, time for food.  It’s better than sitting around and crying. And it’s not like you have anyone to impress._  Darcy took another deep, shuddering breath to calm herself, and pulled the hair tie from her ponytail, letting the dark waves fall around her face.

She left her room, keeping her head down, eyes on her feet as she moved through the halls, the walls obscured by her hair.   _Ah, hair, the ultimate cloak of invisibility._

When she finally entered the dining room, she looked up and pasted on a fake smile.  She glanced around the room and found Jane sitting across the table from Daniel and Mercutio, their backs toward her.   _Of course._ Jane looked at Darcy, the smile on the scientist’s face immediately falling away as she struggled to her feet.  Darcy looked away before Daniel and Mercutio could look over.  

She moved into the food line, eyes glued to the floor. A pair of feet appeared in front of her and she stopped short, causing the person behind Darcy to crash into her.

 _God damnit._ She glanced back to apologize.

 _Fuck_.  Church looked down at her, his eyes widening comically at the sight of Darcy’s face.  His mouth opened and closed before he finally spoke.

“Geez, Lewis, what happened? Boyfriend dump you?” It was a weak attempt at his usual douche bro humor, but it fell flat.  Rage boiled up and through Darcy, angry tears welling, but the sound of a chair clattering to the floor distracted her.  Almost faster than she could process, Darcy watched as Mercutio suddenly appeared.  With no visible exertion, he lifted and slammed Church against the dining room wall, the human’s throat clenched in one large hand.  Church dangled a couple of feet off the floor, eyes wide and face red.  Darcy’s jaw dropped.

The room was silent for a split second, before falling into chaos.  The people in the dining room rushed around; some trying to move away from the scene, some trying to get a better look. Daniel, Green, and Beyers rushed over.  Daniel ushered Darcy back, away from the situation. 

“Put him down,” Green ordered, voice loud and even. He was the only one with a gun, and he had it raised and aimed, arm steady.  His laid-back exterior was gone, replaced with that of a battle hardened soldier.

The room had gone deathly silent aside from Church’s strangled gasps and gurgling.  He kept scratching and hitting Mercutio’s arm to no avail, his kicks similarly ineffective.  Every muscle in Mercutio’s body was tensed, his body practically vibrating with rage. Darcy was a mix of emotions; a vicious part of her roared with approval to anger at seeing Mercutio scare the crap out of Church, while a small bubble of joy surfaced at the sight of someone fighting for her. But beneath that, a ribbon of annoyance and anger surfaced. Darcy has taken care of herself for a long time, and she didn’t need someone to fight her battles.

“Put him down!” Green ordered again.  Mercutio didn't even look at the armed guard; all of his focus was on Church’s red face. Darcy shoved past Daniel and Meyers.

“Darcy, don’t–.”

She flapped a hand in Daniel’s direction, silencing her friend.  Darcy hobbled over to Mercutio’s side and looked up at his face.  Mercutio turned his head and looked down at her, his hold on Church never wavering.  

“Just let him down, okay?” Mercutio clenched his jaw, narrowing his eyes in a glare he cast towards Church before looking back at her.   _Crap._ Darcy reached up and placed a hand on his _oh holy shit, it’s massive_ bicep, pulling down on it.  She knew she couldn’t move him like this, and for a split second, she imagined doing a pull up while hanging from his arm– while he was shirtless.  Darcy blinked the image away, and looked into his eyes.

“It’s okay, I can handle him. I don’t need you to fight him for me.  Besides, I’m not really mad at him; he’s just being a jerk because human men don’t know how to cope with crying women.  So just put him down, okay?”

In a single exhale, the rage and tension in Mercutio melted away into a petulant scowl, but he nodded his assent to Darcy.  He slowly lowered his hand until Church was back on the ground, coughing.  Church quickly scrambled away, face pale and eyes wide as looked back and forth between Darcy and Mercutio.  When Mercutio dropped his hand to his side, Darcy reached out and clutched at his palm, squeezing quickly in thanks.   _Even if he did go full caveman, that_ **_was_ ** _pretty badass.  And kinda hot._ His hand turned, his calloused fingers capturing hers.  Mercutio’s hand was massive, scarred and worn, capable of untold violence.  But for Darcy, his touch was warm and gentle as he lightly squeezed her hand before letting go.

From his place against the wall, Church rasped out: “Security office.  Now.”

* * *

“Wait, what happened?”  Pepper Potts glared at all of them, thoroughly unimpressed.  She was dressed in a bathrobe, her Sunday morning obviously interrupted.  She looked at them through the screen, then sighed.  “F.R.I.D.A.Y., please patch Tony in. He can deal with this.”

As Pepper’s screen went dark, a second screen in the security office lit up, showing a grease-covered Tony Stark.  His hair was standing straight up, and there was a strange, manic light in his wide eyes.   _Uh oh; someone’s been on a science bender._  

“What happened?” Tony snapped out.

Church coughed.  “There was an altercation with Mercutio,” he rasped out.

Tony frowned; “Who?”

“Mercutio is what we’ve been calling our guest, Mr. Stark,” Daniel explained.

“Oh, very Shakespearean.  I like it, works with the whole sword and shield thing they've got going on. Whose idea was that?”

Darcy raised her hand.  Tony let out a sharp bark of laughter and shook his head.  “Of course, it was you, Lewis.  Wait, who are you?” he asked, staring at Church.  

Church tried to speak, only to fall into a coughing fit.  Green spoke up.  “That’s Brad Church, head of security, well, not head, but you, know acting head while Kwan and Gonzales are in Argentina.  They had to–.”

Tony narrowed his eyes, gaze focused on Church as he held up a hand, silencing Green’s rambling. “Church.  Huh.  So what happened?”

Green looked at Darcy, “Well, I didn’t see sir, but–.”

“I was upset, and Church started being a tool… again, but not in a super mean way,” she said, shooting Church a half-hearted glare; he looked away from her.  “So, Mercutio went all chivalrous, Hulk-style.”

Tony winced.  “Fuck. How much damage was there to the structure?”

“None,” Daniel offered.  “He just pinned Church against the wall and didn’t let him go until Darcy talked him down.”

“Oh, great! I mean, not the violence part, but usually my Hulk-damage costs are much… Hulk-ier.”

Church’s face was the personification of _WTF_ as he watched the exchange.  “Sir,” he coughed out.  

“And what did Church say to you, Lewis?”

“I was already upset when he made a stupid joke; I talked to my mom this morning and Baker got hit by a car.”

“What? No! Is he okay?” Daniel asked, brow furrowed with worry.  Darcy looked over and tried to give her friend a positive smile. It felt wrong.

“They–.” Church tried to speak again, but was easily drowned out by Tony.

“Okay, who in the hell is Baker?” Tony interrupted. The room fell silent, the small group turning almost as one to look at Darcy.

Darcy cleared her throat.  “Baker is my dog. I saved him in Puente Antiguo when that Destroyer thing went all… boom.”  She trailed off, miming an explosion.

Tony frowned.  “Okay. So how did that lead to the big guy to tossing Church around?”

“He made her cry.” Everyone in the room froze; most of them had never heard Mercutio speak. His voice was the rumble of distant thunder, a coiled rage lurking within his words. A quick glance showed Darcy the murderous glare he was sending Church, who had paled considerably. “He jested poorly and she began to cry.”

“Wow.  I thought you said he didn’t talk,” Tony muttered.

“He usually doesn’t,” Daniel offered.  His eyebrow was almost at his hairline, the shocked look on his face giving way to a smile.  

Tony shook his head, refocusing. “Alright.  You,” he continued, pointing at Church, “don’t be a jerk to Darcy.  Well, anyone, but especially her.  And you,” he pointed at Mercutio, “please don’t hurt anyone unless that person is actually trying to kill or maim someone.”

Mercutio nodded as Tony turned his gaze to Darcy.  “And you, Lewis, you are the lion tamer here, so just keep an eye on him.  The storm should break sometime Tuesday afternoon, so I’ll send a Quinjet down to pick him up as soon as it does. Just try not to destroy my research station until then.”

“Sounds like a plan, boss man,” Darcy offered, snapping off a haphazard salute.  She looked over at Mercutio, who had dropped his gaze to the ground.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some urgent matters to attend to,” Tony blustered.  The screen went dark, and the guards immediately began talking in hushed tones.

“Yeah, bathing hopefully,” Darcy muttered.  Beside her, Mercutio let out a sharp bark of laughter.

The guards froze and stared at Mercutio.  

“Dude,” Beyers muttered.  Mercutio arched an eyebrow, somehow conveying a thorough lack of interest in them all.  At that moment, Darcy’s stomach made its displeasure known again with a discontented rumble.

Daniel laughed.  “Okay, first thing’s first, our lion tamer needs to eat.” He led Darcy out of the security office.  Jane stood in the hallway, planted on her crutches across from the door.

“What happened, Darcy, what’s wrong?”  she asked.

“Baker got off his leash and got hit by a car.”

“What? No!” Jane’s crutches clattered to the ground as she threw her arms around Darcy. Darcy dropped her crutches to absorb the impact of the tiny whirlwind.

In Jane’s arms, she felt safe. Tears started to fall again, and she buried her head in Jane’s neck. She cried, ignoring the sounds of her coworkers filing out of the security office behind her. An arm wrapped around her shoulders; she recognized the musk of Daniel’s body wash and lotion.  After a few moments, the tears subsided. Darcy stood and wiped at her face. “Baker's out of surgery, but they said it’s touch and go. I’m sure he'll be fine but Mom felt so bad, like she let me down and she couldn't stop crying.”

Jane’s face crumbled.  “I’m sorry, Darce.”

“Me too,” Daniel echoed.

Darcy wiped at tears still falling.  “Too bad you dumped Thor, Jane; we could have used one of those healing stone thingys.”

Jane grinned, then hid her smile behind an expression of breezy arrogance.  “Yes, well, you know I just don’t have time to go to Asgard what with my busy social schedule and all.” She sighed dramatically. “So lonely.”

Jane frowned as Darcy and Daniel started snickering.  

“What?” she asked.

Darcy leaned toward Daniel, speaking in a high, breathy voice. “Oh, David, you're so wonderful. Please give me more of the sex!”

Daniel replied in a deepened voice, “Oh, Jane, my nerd goddess, please let me stroke your sexy brain.”

Jane’s face flamed red as Darcy and Daniel dissolved into giggles interspersed with exaggerated kissy noises.

“You guys know?” she asked, voice reedy and thin.

“Jane, we share a bathroom and you are neither sneaky nor quiet.”

Jane dropped her bright red face into her hands. “Oh, my god,” she whimpered, her voice muffled.  

“Hey, if it makes you feel any better, we’ve been giving Kwan shit about his dreamy eyes.”

Jane glanced up from her hands. “Really?”

Daniel snorted. “Oh, yeah; so much shit.  He tried reading one of your papers; he was freaking out like a jock before finals. He looked so confused.”  

Jane dropped her hands, a dopey grin on her face.

Darcy’s stomach growled again. “C’mon, I need food.”

Jane and Daniel replied at the same time: “And coffee.”

* * *

The food had all been put away and the serving counter cleared by the time they reached the dining room.  Inge-Lise was seated at a table, looking at paperwork.

“Hey, Inge-Lise; got anything quick to eat? Like protein bars or something?” Jane asked.

Inge-Lise looked up at them and clicked her tongue, frowning.  “ _Nej_. My Darcy will have real food.”  

Inge-Lise gathered her papers and stood.  She briskly moved around the serving counter and into the kitchen.  She beckoned them after her. “ _Kom sa._ My rooms are more comfortable.”

She led them through the kitchen and into the small apartment off the kitchen that she shared with her wife, Lotte.  It was more a studio with a bathroom and kitchenette, but it was the largest accomodation for anyone at the station.  Once inside the apartment, she gestured at the small kitchen table and chairs.  “You go sit.”

Inge-Lise became a whirlwind of activity, bustling back and forth between her kitchenette and main kitchen.  In a few moments, Darcy had a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes, a pot of coffee beside her mug.

“You are the best,” Darcy marveled. “Just… awesome.”

Inge-Lise gave her a small smile.  “ _Selv tak, skat._ ”

By the time Darcy had devoured her meal and coffee, Inge-Lise had already returned to the kitchen to start lunch. Darcy drank the last of her coffee and smacked her lips. “I know I shouldn't use food to comfort myself, but fuck ‘em. I love food.”

“That's because they don't eat the right food.” Jane countered. “So, what do you want to do?”

Darcy thought carefully. She didn't want to be alone, and she didn't want to work. She wanted to laugh. She looked over at Jane, a broad grin on her face. “I challenge you!”

* * *

“Ha! Take that Foster! Blue shell, motherfuckers!”  Brit yelled.  Having finished in last place in a handful of races, the beautiful zoologist had gotten bit mean.

There was a malicious light in Jane's eyes, matching the vicious slash of her grin.  The blue shell hovered before Jane’s Princess Peach on the rainbow road. Right before the blast, Jane veered off the road.

“What the fuck?” Green asked.  At that second, Green’s Bowser and Brit’s Yoshi neared where Jane had been, and were blasted by the shell.  Latiku picked Jane up and set her back on the track just after the blast.  

“Hah! Amateurs!” Jane crowed.  Princess Peach zoomed forward, beating the other players easily to the finish line.  Green dashed over to the t.v., dropping to his knees.

“Noooo!” Green cried, shaking his fists at the ceiling.  “Every goddamn time, Foster, every time! How do you do it?”  

Darcy collapsed in a fit of giggles.

“Well, from the age of 6 on, I spent a lot of time in my Dad’s office at Culver, which meant a lot of hours playing games either by myself of with his TAs.”

“Jane is the gaming boss! You should see her on a HALO bender when’s she got science!block,” Darcy explained between giggles.  “The best is when she kills all the douche bro gamers but doesn’t let them know she’s a woman until the end! You can _hear_ the tears falling into their neckbeards and funions!”

Still chuckling, Darcy drained the last of her drink: the tundra margarita.  A concoction by Dr. Gutiérrez (a Chilean meteorologist studying climate change), it was made of vodka and limeade.  It was good, but strong.  Seated beside Jane on the couch, Darcy carefully unwrapped herself from the afghan her Bubbe had made years ago.  She stood and stretched, looking about.

The room was filled with people from the station, drinking and laughing while awaiting their turn to test their gamer mettle against Jane’s.  A game of beer pong had even sprung up, with the Lotte and Dr. Zheng pairing dominating.  According to Inge-Lise, Lotte had been on an Olympic gold medal handball team back in the day; the boys had never stood a chance. Her opponents, Beyers and Daniel, were looking pretty wrecked.

Darcy hobbled over to the drink table, where a large cooking pot of the tundra margaritas sat.  She ladled some into her mug – _Ruth Bader Ginsburg riding a unicorn for the win!_ – and turned to the snack table.  Brit had assembled a variety of drunk snacks made from the food Inge-Lise was sure she wouldn’t need.  Using several bags of stale white bread, the Norwegian had rolled each slice flat, then cut them into triangles.  She had then sprinkled the bread slices with diced peppers and cheese before baking everything.  She called them Antarctic nachos, and they were pretty damn good. Especially after two large vodka margaritas. Darcy stacked several nachos on a small plate, set the plate on top of her mug, and began to limp back toward the couch.

Mercutio had been leaning against a wall all afternoon, drinking quietly and watching the humans with a bemused expression. Seeing Darcy, he strode over to her.  He reached for Darcy’s plate and mug, then paused, raising an eyebrow.

“May I help you?”

“Okay, yeah, thanks, man.”

Mercutio took her plate and mug, then followed her back to the couch.  He stood by the couch, silent, as Darcy sat.

“Just a sec, okay? Need to re-cozify myself here.”  She adjusted her pillows and tugged her blankets around, pulling them onto her lap.  “Okay, ready.”

She looked up at him and reached for her mug and plate, wiggling her fingers.  He handed them to her, a small, indulgent smile on his face.  “Thank you, kind sir.”

The corner of his mouth quirked up as he scoffed, shaking his head. “You're welcome, my lady,” he replied. He inclined his head, then turned and walked away.

* * *

Two hours later, Jane was still kicking ass, though her insults and trash talking had gone up to 11.

They had switched to an Avengers fighting game, and Jane had chosen Hulk, her “science bro!!” She had proceeded to kick ass for over an hour, soundly trouncing all competitors.  As Church’s Thor fell over and lost the round, Jane leapt to her feet.  “Suck it, Thunder Douche!”

Darcy laughed and began chanting: “Jane, Jane, she’s the man, if she can’t do it, no one can!!”

Church looked put out by his loss, but had a begrudging smile on his face.  His gaze moved across the room before the smile suddenly dropped.  Darcy looked around, quickly finding the source of his unhappiness.  Her good humor left her just as quickly.

Brit, dark-haired and supermodel-esque, had been Church’s crush for two months.  Dressed in fleece onesie pajamas, she should have looked ridiculous.  But, of course, she didn’t; she looked beautiful.  She was leaning close to Mercutio, who had resumed his place against the wall, massive arms crossed over his broad chest.  She was talking to him, smiling coyly, a hand resting on his arm.  Mercutio watched her with a strange slant to his mouth, one eyebrow raised, but he hadn't moved away from her.

In that moment, Darcy kind of wanted to hate Brit. _Don’t be a douche, Darcy. Brit’s cool and super nice, and you can’t hate her just because she is better than you in literally every way and is using that awesomeness to flirt with Mercutio. You’d be doing the same thing if you had the guts._

Something angry and sad roiled in Darcy’s stomach, causing her to yell out:  “You are awesome, Brit! You are the MacGyver of drunk snacks! To Brit!”

Brit rocked back on her feet, placing vital inches between her and Mercutio.  Darcy quickly looked back at Church and raised her glass, trying to give off the air of one who hadn’t just interrupted a _moment_ .   Church gave her a small grin and raised his mug in the air, before taking a drink.   _Don’t look back, don’t look back, don’t look back…._ Darcy reoriented herself toward the t.v., a plastic grin on her face.  

On the t.v., Dr. Pradesh’s Iron Man was facing the wrong way, firing repulsor blasts as he tried to turn around.  His life bar was dangerously low.  “Stupid Iron Man!” he yelled. “You are not smart like Iron Man!  Stupid fingers!”

Jane performed some controller button magic, and Hulk executed a flying double fisted blow.  Dr. Pradesh tossed his controller onto the table.  “I am not good at these games,” he mourned.

Jane smiled him. “That’s okay, Doc. You did pretty good for a first time.  You got some good hits in.”

Darcy patted Dr. Pradesh’s shoulder. “Good try, Doc.  But no one can beat the Jane.” Dr. Pradesh smiled and vacated the chair beside the couch.  As Sharon, one of the station’s nurses took the seat, Darcy noticed a figure in the corner of her eye.

Mercutio stood, silent, a perplexed frown on his brow as he stared down at Darcy.  Eager for any chance to just be near him, HighSchool!Darcy resurfaced, and she reached for his hand.  Mercutio held out his hand, and Darcy pulled herself up.  She tugged him around the couch to stand before her.  His look of confusion had only deepened, but an amused smirk curled his lips.   Darcy smiled as she pushed him into her seat. Mercutio immediately tried to stand, but Darcy just plopped herself into the small sliver of space available between the arm of the couch and his solid frame.  Mercutio tensed, then slowly relaxed.  It was a tight, uncomfortable fit.  But then he raised his arm and rested it along the back of the couch, behind Darcy’s shoulders. He leaned down toward her.

“Who is MacGyver?”

Darcy grinned.  “Allow me to explain; MacGyver is a fictional character who can do anything with anything. Give him a stick and chewing gum, and he’ll make a bomb or a car or something.  And since Brit can make drunk snacks out of anything, she is the MacGyver of drunk snacks.”

“Yep! And since most of the food around here is for Inge-Lise’s planned meals, we can’t just grab what we want,” Jane chimed in.

“Well, you could,” Green pointed out from his seat in the recliner. “It wouldn’t turn out well, but you could.”

“Very true, on all counts,” Darcy acknowledge.  “But I prefer to keep my limbs where they are. And we’re good; just give Brit some vodka, the weirdest ingredients available, and five minutes, and she will make something amazing.”

Darcy _felt_ the rumble of his laughter against her body.  She snuggled deeper into the corner of the couch, resting her head on his chest.  He stilled, but then his arm wrapped around her shoulders.  She felt safe and warm; it was nice.

As Sharon’s Black Widow battled Hulk, Darcy’s eyes slid shut.   _I’ll rest my eyes. Just for a minute._

* * *

 

When Darcy woke up the dark, she was in bed, wrapped in Bubbe’s afghan.  In her room, if the smell of lavender body lotion was anything to go by.  She reached for her phone on the nightstand, but found only a wall of warm skin and fabric.  

 _What the hell? If I'm in bed with Church I swear to god I will walk out into the blizzard._ She tried to remember, frowning in the dark. _Okay, we set up for the Mario Kart tournament, Brit made Antarctic nachos, Marco made vodka margaritas, I got drunk, Jane kicked everyone’s ass, I got really drunk, Mercutio came over…._ The memories all rushed back, and for a second, she felt nauseous. She remembered standing and forcing Mercutio to sit on the couch. And then squeezing herself in beside him, like a 15 year old trying to flirt. She remembered resting her head against his chest and falling asleep. He'd smelled like musk, like the bodywash she'd come to associate with Daniel's hugs. But underneath that, with the smell of his skin, was something else.   _Like the air after rain.  What's that word?_ Whatever it was, it was the same smell that surrounded her now.  Darcy huffed. She loved that smell and had googled it just so she'd know the term. She quietly rolled on her back, thinking.

 _Ochre? No, that's a color._ The body beside hers stirred, inhaling and moving. _Okay, time to face the embarrassment._

“Can you turn the light on?” she whispered.

The bedside lamp clicked on, her eyes saved from the brunt of the light by Mercutio's torso.  He was seated on the floor beside her bed, reclined against the bedside table with his torso curved around the corner of her bed. _That_ **_can’t_ ** _be comfortable._

“What time is it?”

“Morning,” he whispered. Her eyeglasses were missing, but his face was close enough to see clearly. He continued speaking.  “It is early.  Are you feeling better?”

Darcy yawned and stretched; buried beneath her blankets, surrounded by him, she felt protected.  “Yeah, I am.  Did you carry me to bed?”

He nodded.  “You were tired; I didn’t care to awaken you.”

“Oh, thanks.”  

Darcy frowned, a memory popping up.  She remembered Brit, the supermodel-esque babe flirting with Mercutio, resting her hand on his chest.  She recalled a wave of jealousy, and how she’d interrupted their moment.   _Not cool, Lewis.  Not cool._  Darcy blushed as her stomach knotted in utter humiliation.

“Sorry I interrupted things with you and Brit,” she muttered, looking away. “I think she's really into you.”

“I was glad you did.  She was….”  Darcy looked over to see his thoughtful frown.  “I did not want her attention.”

He looked down into her eyes, then leaned forward to brush the hair away from her face.  He was smiling as he looked down at her. He licked his lips, gaze darting away before returning to her. “I much prefer your company,” he confessed, his voice hushed. Mercutio’s hand rested beside her head, fingers gently stroking her hair.

Darcy stared at him, watching in shock as a light flush dusted his cheeks. She blushed in response, trying futilely to suppress her sudden smile.   She reached up to brush her fingers against the hand stroking her hair, linking their fingers together. “Oh.  Okay.”

Mercutio smiled, a deep happy smile that included dimples.  He freed his hand from hers and cupped her face.  He brushed his thumb against her jaw line.  “I want to thank you.”

“For what?”

“For you.”

Darcy wrinkled her nose. “Huh?”

Mercutio chuckled. He returned his hand to her hair, gently running his fingers through it.  “To most people, to women, they see me as what they want. A protector. An attack dog. A temporary partner. What they need is all that I am to them. But you waited to see who I was. You offered me friendship.”

Darcy could feel her blush extend all the way to her ears. _I probably look like a tomato._ She wanted to make a joke. “Oh.”

A small wrinkle appeared between his eyebrows. “The storm will break tomorrow, and someone will take me away.”

Darcy’s heart clenched, sinking into her stomach. “I forgot about that.”

Mercutio's gaze turned sad, wistful as he swallowed hard. His gaze ticked away and back as he licked his lips. “I want you to know that you are unlike anyone I’ve ever met.”

Darcy felt her face go beet red again.  She swallowed hard.  “Of course, I mean, do they even make short Asgardians?”

Mercutio chuckled,trailing his fingertips from behind her ear and oh so gently down her throat.  She shivered, watching as his pupils dilated.  He leaned forward, brushing the bridge of his nose along her jaw, warm breath dancing over her throat.  He slowly skimmed his lips over her cheek, then her lips, where his mouth lingered.  It was a sweet, simple kiss, but the light sensual touches had Darcy aching for him. His scent surrounded her.  

 _Petrichor._   _He smells like petrichor._

When he pulled away from her, his eyes were dark, hungry, and Darcy felt that good, low down throb of want.  

“You are so beautiful, so...” he husked out, brows furrowed and thoughtful.

_Seriously? A hot, sweet guy wants me, and he has to leave? Fuck._

A nasty voice inside her chimed in. _Unless he just wants sex._

_Shut up! He could have dropped me off and then gone to find Brit!_

That nasty voice fell silent.

“I’m so what?”

“Wonderous.”

Darcy raised her hand, resting it upon his cheeks.  She brushed her fingers over his beard, let her thumb brush across his lips.

From somewhere behind Mercutio, a mournful chime sounded from her phone. It was like ice water, breaking the quiet spell between them.

Darcy swallowed down her sudden sadness and sat up to look around.  “Any idea where my phone is?”

“Yes,” he said, reaching behind himself to retrieve her phone from the nightstand.  He offered it to her.  The phone was dim, in power save mode. But that wasn't what drew her focus.

Just below the time (four a.m.), there was a text message on the lock screen from her mom at 10 pm:

“ _Baker is fine. But why did Tony fucking Stark send a medivac team?”_

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All good things must come to an end.

“ _Baker is fine. But why did Tony fucking Stark send a medivac team?”_

 _Wait, what?_ Darcy stared at her phone screen, only half aware of the quizzical hum she made in the back of her throat as she reread the message again and again.

“Darcy?” Mercutio asked.

Darcy shook her head.  “So, it would seem that Tony Stark paid for a team of specialists to take my dog someplace with better doctors.”

“Oh. Well, that's good?”

Darcy glanced over at him, at the confused but hopeful tilt of his brow.  She paused in thought.  “Well, he probably did it to make sure you wouldn’t have a reason to destroy the station.”

Mercutio laughed and took her hand between his.  A thumb gently brushed across the sensitive skin of her palm, while his fingers traced the visible veins.  He raised her hand to his mouth, softly brushing his lips across her knuckles. _Holy hand grenade of Antioch._ There was the typical romantic/chivalrous association with the gesture, but this was different.

“I can still destroy it if you’d like,” he offered, the words softly murmured against her skin.

He returned to brushing his lips across her knuckles, slowly.  As though he was… _luxuriating_ in the act. Enjoying it. The way Darcy enjoyed the super-expensive chocolates she bought herself during the after-Valentine's sales. She would eat them slowly, a bite at a time, drawing out the pleasure of a rare treat. Darcy looked away, swallowing around the sudden lump in her throat.

“Uh….Probably not.  If you hurt Jane’s equipment, she would definitely find a way to kill you.  And if she didn’t, Stark probably would.”

Mercutio chuckled, the crisp hair of his beard tickling at her fingers.  “Stark; the Man of Iron?”

She narrowed his eyes. “Thor tell you that?”

Mercutio froze before speaking.  “Others here speak of him”

Darcy grinned. “Oh, I’m sure they do. But Thor is the only one who calls him ‘The Man of Iron.’”

Mercutio was silent for a moment before he finally sighed, grinning ruefully.  “I am not good with words.”

Darcy smiled. “You do well enough.”

He shook his head and scoffed.  “I think you are the first to say that.  Most claim I am either too dumb or too arrogant.”

“Well, you seem smarter than Church,” Darcy retorted, curling up on her side to face him fully.  “And you don’t seem arrogant to me.  Except for when you stare people down, ‘cause then you have that whole ‘don’t even try it, son, I will take you out’ thing going on. Which is more confidence in your abilities than arrogance.”

Mercutio chuckled, the low sound sending a shiver up Darcy’s spine.  “I usually boast more; but I find myself without anything to boast of.”

Darcy cleared her throat.  “Well, you didn’t even have to brag to do well with Brit.” _Or me._

His grin quirked up on one side.  “She did most of the talking.”   Mercutio’s grin faded.  “And in truth, I suspect she didn’t much care for what I had to say.”

“I think most guys would be okay with that when it's someone so beautiful.”

Mercutio peered at her, as though trying to see inside her brain. “A short time ago, that would have been enough.” He reached out again, wrapping one of Darcy’s curls around a finger.  He focused on his hand, a blush spreading across his cheeks.

“I now desire something more.” He looked back at Darcy, his gaze heavy with desire and affection.   But there was something else in his eyes…. _Fuck, I'm too tired to figure this out.  Is there an app for this? There should be an app for that._

Darcy was saved from trying to find some sort of response by a knock on the metal hallway door. Mercutio’s expression went flat as he stood.

He opened the door, and between his legs, Darcy could see Green laying on the ground, dark smudge around his bloodshot eyes.  “Please,” he whined, “Can we go back to your room? There’s that super comfy chair I can sleep in, and a blanket, and it’s just all around better.  Please?”

Darcy let out an indelicate snort of laughter.  “I’ll see you in the morning, Mercutio.  Thanks for bringing me to my room.”

Mercutio turned around, eyes on the floor, a soft smile on his lips. “Good night, Darcy.” As he turned away, his eyes darted up to her before he stepped through the door.

“Good night, Mercutio.”

* * *

 

Darcy’s alarm went off at 7:00 a.m., a loud warble against the pounding in her head. She rolled over and grabbed her phone, shutting off the alarm. Once silenced, Darcy slapped at her bedside lamp until it turned on, knocking over a bottle on the nightstand.  The light stabbed at her slightly-hungover, exhausted brain.

 _Damn, where’s a giant Asgardian light-shield when you need one?_  Darcy flopped back onto her bed, staring up at the grey metal ceiling.  Darcy yawned, tears pricking at her eyes as she stretched. She needed to get up. She needed to get Jane up. She needed to call her mom.  She needed to start the day.  But beyond the light pounding in her brain, there was something else bothering her.  She sighed, and rubbing her eyes, then called her Mom.

 _“Darcy!”_ Rachel’s voice was upbeat, positive.

“Hey Mom.  Any update?”

_“Yeah; Stark sent Baker to a massive animal hospital in Manhattan.  They had to do another surgery, but he’s stable for now.  There’s still a chance for complications or problems, but the doctors are ‘cautiously optimistic’.”_

Darcy sighed, relieved tears pricking at her eyes.  “Thank god. What about you?  Are you okay?”

_“Yeah.  Bekah brought over some take out, and I slept for nine hours straight.  You?”_

“We had a video game tournament.”

_“Hah! Did Jane kick ass and take names?”_

“Oh yeah; she made everyone cry.  Except for Beyers and Daniel. Inge-Lise’s wife, Lotte, and Dr. Zheng kicked their asses at beer pong.  Daniel got _so drunk_ , Ma. Oh my god, so drunk.  It was hilarious, but I fell asleep and kinda missed out on the rest of the night. But it was fun.”   

_“Good. Well, I gotta get ready for work.  We’ve got a huge shipment going out so I need to make sure everything's in order.”_

“Yeah. And I should probably go see if Jane is even in her bedroom or if she passed out in the rec room.”

_“Okay. Have a good day, baby. Love you.”_

“Love you too, Mom.”

Darcy hung up, feeling like she could finally breathe easier.  But there was still a small, unhappy knot in her stomach.  Something a little bit nervous, a little bit unhappy.

 _Yeach. I feel like I have final exam tomorrow. Fuck it. C’mon Lewis, it’s nothing a gallon of coffee can’t fix._ Mind made up, Darcy stood, her foot knocking into a full water bottle.  It was unopened, and Darcy hadn’t brought it in; someone had brought it in for her.  That knot in her stomach roiled, but she pushed it down and made her way into Jane’s room.  

Once inside, she turned on Jane’s bedside light.  Darcy immediately clapped her hand over her mouth to muffle a bark of laughter. Jane was sleeping on top of her covers, rolled up in a throw blanket and burrowed under her pillows. An empty platter, likely once containing nachos, was on the bed next to her, one the scientist’s hands splayed across the plastic surface.  Darcy crept back to her room to grab her phone, returning to take pictures.  She took two, then started recording video.  

“Jane,” Darcy singsonged.

Jane mumbled into the covers. Darcy tried again, louder.

“Janie.”

Jane frowned, moaning unhappily.  

Grinning, Darcy yelled.  “Jane! Wake up!”

Jane sat up, flailing, only half her hair still in it’s braid as she looked around the room.  “Darcy?”

“Hey Jane, time to get up. We have science to conquer.”

“Oh, science. I love science,” Jane muttered with a sleepy smile.  “Coffee first?”

“Coffee first.”

* * *

The mood in the dining room was subdued when Darcy and Jane shuffled in.  Typically, the room was fairly empty, most of the scientists and staff preferring to eat their cereal and toast in their labs.  But typically, Inge-Lise didn’t serve eggs and bacon on Mondays.  Most of the people in the room looked to be some combination or variation of hungover and/or exhausted, while others just seemed sad to return to their regular schedule after their Sunday funday. Church looked vaguely green over his empty plate and cup of coffee, while Green merely looked sleepy.  Meyers was missing, and Daniel appeared to have fallen asleep while propped up on his fist.  Mercutio wasn’t in sight, which only made that unhappy feeling in Darcy’s stomach seem a bit worse.

“Everyone looks hungover and tired; all the hallmarks of a good party,” Darcy joked.  

“Good party,” Jane muttered. “Need bacon and pancakes.”

Darcy laughed.  “Jane, don’t ever change.”

* * *

 

Darcy had one main rule: unless they were on the edge of a breakthrough, Jane had to take Sundays off.  Most Mondays, it gave Jane a fresh start, a new, infectious energy that got the lab buzzing.  By nine a.m., Darcy would have music playing, the two of them bobbing their heads to the song while they worked. Jane, after inhaling about 4,000 calories of food and four cups of coffee, was back to her usual, science mad self.  But Darcy… Darcy just couldn’t get her energy up.  

She scrolled through her ipod; Lady Gaga, Foo Fighters, the Monkees.  It didn’t help. It was time for war against her brain. She cranked up the speakers for her ipod and pressed play. As the first synth strains played, Jane's head snapped up.  Even hungover with dark circles under her eyes, Jane’s entire focus had shifted from the data before her to Darcy.

“Darcy, why have you broken the Rickrolling Accords of 2013?” she asked.  Her voice was flat and even, promising a vengeance of biblical proportions.

Darcy paused the music and raised her hands in surrender.  “Pursuant to coda 1 of said Accords, I am invoking the ‘need of rickrolling’ clause.”

“Very well.” Jane nodded, conceding Darcy’s point. Darcy pressed play, and it worked.  By the time Rick Astley was actually singing, Darcy had commenced with her version of the singer’s “white boy sway and snap.”  For Jane and Darcy, Rick Astley was the nuclear option, to be used only in the direst of circumstances; it was their Hail Mary play. But by the time the chorus started, Darcy and Jane were singing along at the top of their lungs, swaying and snapping to the beat of the song.  

The song ended, and went to the next song on Darcy’s awesomely 80’s playlist.  Darcy and Jane settled back down in their seats, resuming their work.

“So, now that _that’s_ over, just what caused you to invoke coda 1?”

Darcy shrugged. “I dunno, just feeling a bit….” _Like everything and nothing is wrong._

“Hungover?”

Darcy laughed.  “Well, yeah, that; but, I dunno.”

“Magenta?” Jane suggested.  

“Yes! Magenta! Thank you!  God bless ‘The Golden Girls’.”

“Amen. But Baker’s still okay, right?”

“Oh yeah, the vets said it’s looking good.”

“Okay, so what’s the issue?”

Darcy pushed the laptop away and dropped her head onto her hands.  She sighed into her palms.  Her heart beat one, two, three times as she took a deep breath.  

“I dunno, I’m bummed, I guess?” She paused and began playing with the stray thread from her cuff of her sweater.  Jane didn’t prompt her, just waited.   _And that’s why Jane is awesome._ “Did you see Mercutio take me to my room last night?”

Jane grinned.  “I may have noticed that.  And heard Green in the hallway complaining about you guys sleeping while he had to sit on the floor when Church helped me to my room.”

Darcy dropped her jaw and gasped in faux show.  “Janie! You collecting security guys?”

Jane shrugged. “Hey, a drunk girl on crutches can’t turn down help carrying her tray of nachos.”

“Very true.”

“So, what happened?”

“He just _sat_ with me, Jane. He just sat on the floor and slept beside me. And when I woke up, he kissed me.”

“What?” Jane’s eyes were wide as she stumbled over to Darcy, lurching from surface to surface, crutches forgotten. She grabbed the younger woman by the shoulders. “He kissed you and you’re just telling me this?”

Jane started to shake her. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“Because it was just one small, baby kiss!”

Jane released her and stepped back again.  “Okay, okay. So… what’s the issue here? Hot guy lips are usually not a problem.”  Her gaze narrowed.  “Was he rude to you?  Did he try anything?   Cause if he did—.”

“No, he was really sweet!  He even left me a bottle of water for this morning.  And he said all this nice stuff about me, and it was just… _really_ fucking romantic.” Darcy sighed.  “And then he said that he’d probably have to leave tomorrow when the storm broke.”

“Oh, right.  That is pretty much the definition of a bummer. So, what exactly did he say?” she asked, resting her hip against Darcy’s desk.

“He thanked me for being me.  He wanted to thank me for being nice to him, for being his friend. And I felt so bad, because I totally cock-blocked him and Brit.  So, I apologized, but then he said he preferred my company, which is crazy. And he kissed me, and kissed my hand it was just… whoa, you know? Like, is this really my life?” _Oh god, I sound like an idiot._ Darcy paused and took a breath before continuing, her words coming faster.  “I just feel like this can’t be real, but I’m pretty sure it actually happened! But he seems to like me, and I really like him.  I dig the whole ‘sexy hot guy who thinks I’m adorable’ thing.   And it sucks because I’m sad that he’s leaving.  It’s just too much to deal with while I’m hungover, and there’s this stupid fucking voice in my brain telling me that I should be glad he’s leaving before he figures out that he doesn’t want me because I’m just _me_.”  

Darcy stopped talking and sighed.  

Jane’s face went soft, eyes wide and sad. “You don’t really think that, do you?”

Darcy quieted and stared at her hands, picking at her cuticles.  “I dunno. I mean, look; Thor loved you, Jane. Small, cute, and brilliant beyond words. Tony Stark loves Pepper Potts. Tall, gorgeous, and brilliant beyond words.  Notice a pattern?”

“Point and compliment taken. But I see you; smart, kind, and pretty hot.”

 _Not that hot; and I’m sure as shit not as hot as you or Brit._  Darcy said nothing, but she could feel Jane’s eyes studying her closely.

“Do you know why Thor liked me?” Jane finally said.

“‘Cause you’re ridiculously pretty and a genius?” Darcy offered, looking up at her friend.

Jane’s cheeks pinked.  “He said he liked my determination, my devotion to my work.  He liked my passion for the stars, that I had prioritized that above all else.  And he liked the effect I had on him.  He loved that I challenged him, and he said I gave him the freedom to be himself and not just the role he’d be brought up in. Maybe Mercutio just feels like he can be himself around you.”

“Which is funny since no one knows his real name,” Darcy joked, both the joke and her smile falling flat.

Jane shot Darcy a small but quelling glare.  “Look, you may not be a physicist or business mogul, but you’re _you_ , you are brilliant.  You watch CSPAN for fun and scream at the t.v.; you understand people.  You get how we work.  And you are kind, and sweet, and big hearted. And I think you’re pretty damn beautiful.” Jane nodded decisively.  “So yeah, it sucks that he’s probably on schedule to spend a couple of years in a small cell in Area 51, but hey…” she trailed off, gesturing. Her hands kept gesticulating for several seconds before she finally dropped her hands, apparently unable to find the right words. “Smoke if you got ‘em?”

Darcy burst out laughing.

* * *

 

By the time Jane and Darcy stopped for dinner, it was eight o’clock.  The day had passed, filled with numbers and data as Jane had varied the antenna’s output.  Hungry and brain dead, they hobbled into the dining room.  Inge-Lise selected chefs specializing in different kinds of cuisine, hoping to add some color to the station’s routine.  It worked, and that night, the kitchen was serving Southeast Asian cuisine.  

As they started eating, Jane and Darcy let out matching moans of delight.  

“‘Sho good,” Jane said around a mouthful of green curry.

Darcy nodded in agreement, slurping up more Pho. She moaned.  God, it was so good.

“Geeze, Lewis; I knew you loved Pho, but I didn’t know you _loved_ Pho.”

Darcy didn’t bother to look up from her bowl to flip Daniel off.

Daniel laughed as he dropped into the seat beside Jane, setting down a plate of strudel.  The chair beside Darcy was pulled out, and Mercutio sat beside her, clad in a dark maroon sweater.  Darcy looked over at him, a momentary wave of self-consciousness hitting her.  But Mercutio simply smiled at her, every inch of him radiating happiness at just _seeing_ her.  It was too much to deal with.  Darcy gave him a small smile, then returned to eating.  

Jane stared and frowned at Mercutio.  “Did you always have a sweater?” she finally asked.  

Darcy snorted, barely able to swallow before the spicy broth could go out her nose.   She swallowed, chuckling at the confused looks Mercutio and Daniel were giving Jane.

“No Jane, he didn’t. It’s new;” Daniel explained.  

Darcy turned to Mercutio.  “Where’d you get it?”

“Inge-Lise.  She said I looked cold and made it for me,” he said, smiling fondly.

“That was really nice of her,” Jane commented.  Mercutio nodded as Jane continued.  “But were you actually cold?”

Mercutio shook his head.

Jane returned her attention to her plate, taking another bite, seemingly unconcerned at the sudden awkward silence.  

Daniel raised his eyebrows, smiling as he shook his head.  “Well it’s not a new sweater, but I’ve got some good news, Darce.”  
  
Darcy slurped up a spoonful and looked up.  She narrowed her eyes and studied him.  He had a pleased, smug grin on his face.  A grin that was filled with excitement.  Darcy’s eyes went wide.

“Oh my god, did Michael get the job?”

Daniel gave her a wide toothy grin.  “Yep.  We’ll be coworkers in a couple of months!”

“YESSS!” Darcy punched both fists up in the air.  Jane, mouth still full of food, gave an excited thumbs-up, then clapped and made a happy sound in her throat.

“He’s pretty damn excited; he’s going to be managing the genetic research labs, so he’s going to love that.”

“And you’ll be working at the same facility as me,” Darcy added. “Which is the best part.”

“Of course; I mean, what would I do without my daily Darcy fix? You feel me, right?” Daniel asked, looking at Mercutio.  

Mercutio didn’t speak, but he looked at Darcy and nodded. Darcy refocused on her Pho, ignoring the warm flicker in her belly.

* * *

 

Sleepy and full of food, Darcy and Jane had immediately headed to their rooms after dinner.  Yet despite a lack of quality sleep the night before, Darcy couldn’t fall asleep.  She kept tossing and turning, a swelling bubble of nervous energy keeping her awake no matter how much she tried to calm herself.  She caught up on her cartoons on her phone, then tried to sleep again, but it was all for naught. Finally, at one a.m., she got up.

Clad only in her pajamas, slippers, and a hoodie, Darcy lurched through the station. It was eerily quiet throughout, the only sounds around the clicking of her crutches, the hum of the heating system, and beyond that, the howl of the wind outside. She bypassed the coffee bar in the dining room, loaded with cocoa packets and tea bags, and went into the kitchen. Inside, she opened the pantry and reached for the hidden peppermint schnapps bottle and the tub of cocoa mix. There was less schnapps than last time, but Darcy’s label (“Poison!!! Do not drink!!!”) was still affixed.

Darcy had just turned on the electric kettle when the kitchen door opened.  She looked over her shoulder to find Mercutio standing in the doorway, arms crossed.

“Hey, where’s your shadow?” she asked, turning away.

“Beyers fell asleep watching a program.”

Darcy snapped her fingers.  “Right, Beyers.” She turned back to the counter and began scooping cocoa mix into a mug.  “I always think his name’s Beyers, but then I think, ‘wait, it is really Meyers and I just want his name to be Beyers because of Will Beyers?’  So, I keep convincing myself his name is the opposite.” Darcy cut her rambling off with a shake of her head.  “Anyways, I’m making cocoa, want some?”

Mercutio joined her at the counter, his steps silent. “I haven’t tried it.”

The water began boiling and the kettle clicked off.  Darcy filled her cup part way with hot water, then added a bit of cold water, and a healthy splash of schnapps.  “It always tastes better with milk, but there isn’t a ton of spare milk, and I don’t wanna make Inge-Lise mad.”

She offered the mug to Mercutio, glancing away from the fond grin on his face.  “Wanna try it?”

Mercutio took the cup from her and held it to his mouth.  He inhaled, then took a small sip.

His eyes widened in surprise.  “It is very good,” he said, offering Darcy her mug.  

“Keep it, I’ll make myself another.” Darcy turned away and set about doing so.  When she had a second cup prepared, she turned and faced Mercutio again.  

She wanted to speak, but the exhaustion seemed to have robbed her of any words. Darcy took a sip of her cocoa, wincing at the overload of schnapps.   _Oh well, what the hell, Maybe it’ll knock me out._  

“So, can’t sleep?” she finally asked.  He shrugged, an all too human gesture.

“Restless.”

“Me too,” Darcy admitted.  “I feel exhausted and wound up; it’s a crappy combination.”  She set her mug on the counter, then braced her hands on the counter to boost herself up.  It was a bit tricky with an injured ankle.  Mercutio moved closer and rested his hands on her hips.  Darcy looked down and swallowed.  His hands were so large that his thumbs bracketed her belly button.   _Long enough to touch my — stop it Darcy!_ She looked up his face.  

“May I assist you?” he asked.  His voice was constant low rumble, one that always had the ability to spiral down her spine and light a fire in her belly. _He is just too hot. Not fair._ Instead of squeaking out a response, Darcy merely nodded.  He gripped her hips firmly and slowly raised her until she was able to sit on the countertop.  Darcy found herself staring at his neck, his body between her spread knees.

“Thanks,” was all she managed to say, her voice suddenly tight.  She looked up to offer him a weak but grateful smile, only to find his head bent down, lips close to her ear.

“It was my pleasure.” The words were murmured into Darcy’s ear, his breath softly stirring her hair and caressing her skin.  A shudder rocketed through her, tightening her nibbles and making her throb. _Seriously? I didn’t even bring my toys for comfort. God damn it._

Mercutio’s hands slowly traveled down her thighs to rest her knees, thumbs mindlessly tracing the designs of her fleece pajamas.  Darcy turned her head and met his gaze, then lifted her arm to rest her hand on the back of his neck.  His skin was warm as her fingers stretched to brush over the stubble on his shorn scalp.  Mercutio shuddered, his eyelids dropping into a hooded gaze, pupils dilating.  Darcy leaned forward, just a hair’s breadth, until she could feel his breath against her lips; warm and scented with mint. It sent another shiver through her body that settled in her groin, causing her pussy to clench.  With a low groan, Mercutio pressed their mouths together.  

His tongue licked across her lower lip, teeth gently grazing Darcy’s lip.  She gasped and touched her tongue to his.  This time, he shuddered, his hands reaching up bury themselves in her hair.  He angled her head, deepening the kiss.  And holy hell, did he know how to kiss; his mouth devoured hers, tongue dipping in to slide against Darcy’s.  As far as beards went, his was comparatively soft, scratching against her skin and adding another sensation to the heady mix of his taste and scent.  She couldn’t help but want to feel it all across her body.  

Letting out an aching moan, Darcy moved her hands to his broad shoulders, digging her short nails into his sweater.  She could feel the corded muscles there flexing as one arm wrapped around her waist, his other hand cupping her face.  Darcy broke the kiss to suck in a breath, which Mercutio took as permission to move lower.  

He pressed his mouth to her throat, dropping a trail of small kisses before opening his mouth to lick at her pulse point. His beard brushed at her skin as he nipped at the tender skin of her throat.  He then moved up to flick his tongue at her earlobe before biting and sucking at the hinge of her jaw.  Darcy let out a gasp, a small, strangled sound as she arched her back to press against Mercutio.  He inhaled sharply, then moaned. It was a deep sound torn from his his chest, something hungry and needy.   He tightened his hold around her waist, pulling Darcy to the edge of the counter and tight against his torso.   _Fuck_ . She could feel his cock against her belly, hard and deliciously large.  God, she could feel herself getting wet.  Darcy wanted to take him to bed, to ride him for all he was worth, and then wake up to that dimpled smile.  But that sadness blossomed inside her, reminding her of what would happen tomorrow. _Today._

Darcy pressed at his shoulders, trying to push him away.  His lips kept teasing behind her ear, drawing more sounds from her.  She pushed again and his mouth stilled.  Mercutio’s hands dropped from her.  He moved to step away, but Darcy didn’t want him gone.  She dug her fingers into his sweater and dropped her head, resting her forehead against his broad chest.  She took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to regain some semblance of control.  Two thick arms wrapped around her, cradling her against him.  After giving herself a few moments to calm down, Darcy leaned back and looked up at Mercutio.  Which was a serious mistake because hot damn, he was looking at her like he just wanted to _ruin_ her, like he wanted to drag her to bed and fuck her until she couldn’t move.

“You smell so sweet, my Darcy.” His spoke in a low, rolling tone, brushing his thumb across her cheekbone.  “I keep imagining how you would taste, the sounds you would make.”

He squeezed his eyes shut, inhaling deeply as if trying to center himself.  When he opened his eyes, his expression was filled with sadness and longing. “If only I had more time with you.” His mouth twisted in a bitter smirk.  “I finally—”

Mercutio fell silent, jaw clenching.  “I just met you, and tomorrow I will leave you. It seems fitting,” he ground out.

Slowly, Mercutio pulled away from her, resting against the steel counter behind him.  He assumed his customary position of arms crossed over his chest.  It was a pose that usually spoke of some degree of arrogance or boredom.  Instead, it seemed sad, lonely.

Darcy’s hands were shaking with adrenaline and arousal; she needed to do something with them.  She reached out and grabbed her mug. The cocoa had cooled, but she drank it down quickly.  When she finished, Darcy carefully lowered herself to the floor.  Mercutio handed Darcy her crutches and started to step away.  She grabbed at his hand and pulled him close.  Raising up her toes as best she could, she pulled his hand down.  Mercutio lowered his face to hers, and Darcy pressed a kiss to his jaw, then released him.  

“Good night, Mercutio.”

“Good night, Darcy.”

Darcy turned away and left him behind, returning to her room.

* * *

 

Darcy was in the middle of a dream. She was in London, looking for Baker.  He had been kidnapped by Dark Elves, but Jane and Thor were too busy fighting over the last pop tart to help.  The longer she looked, the more terrified and desperate she became.  The buildings around turned sinister, looming up into the sky like jagged shards, while shadows grew long and dark as she heard Baker’s pitiful whines all around her.

DARCY.

Someone was calling her.

DARCY.

“Darcy!”  Jane’s yell woke her up. Darcy struggled to stand, hand flailing about in the dark room.  The bathroom door opened, light flooding in.  Darcy squinted into the light, fumbling for her glasses.

“Darcy, I was in the lab, and I saw the security team leading Mercutio out of here!  Someone is here to take him!”

Jane opened Darcy’s bedroom door and charged out into the hallway with as much speed as her crutches would allow.  Darcy stumbled out after her, lurching forward on her crutches while she followed Jane as fast as she could.  Darcy followed Jane down the hallway, past the rest of the housing wing, then the medical wing and security office.  When Darcy and Jane reached the garage entrance, they finally stopped and looked inside.

Green, Meyers, and Daniel surrounded Mercutio at a safe distance, dressed for the cold and weapons in hand.  From the doorway, Darcy couldn’t tell if they had Stark’s non-lethal guns, or real guns.  With a loud groan, the large garage door slid open as Church pulled it.  Darcy and Jane crept in, staying in the shadows.  

Outside, the snowfall had somewhat slowed, though fat snowflakes were falling on a quinjet.  The ramp lowered and Iron Man stepped out, followed by a smaller figure dressed in black from head to toe, and six men.   Four of the men remained outside, facing the entrance, while Iron Man and the other three entered the garage. Darcy recognized Kwan and Romero, the last of the station’s security contingent.  They moved away from the doorway, Romero standing beside Green.  Kwan zeroed in on Jane and Darcy, quickly crossing the garage to stand by them.

Once he joined them, his eyes remained fixed on Jane.  “You two shouldn’t be in here.  If he decides not to go, there could be some danger.”

Jane smiled up at him and scoffed.  “And risk hurting Darcy? No way.”

Darcy ignored them, focusing on Iron Man.  His faceplate slid away, revealing Tony Stark’s curious gaze.

“So, this is Mercutio?” he asked.  Tony sauntered up to the being in question, swaggering as much as a man in a metal suit could. _Seriously Stark?_ Of course, it was all the more hilarious, seeing as how even in his suit, Tony still had to look up at Mercutio.

Mercutio met his gaze and said nothing.  Tony turned and looked back at the last of his passengers.  The figure stepped closer. Wrapped in leather, the figure had the curves of a woman, with the flag of Wakanda on her chest.  She raised her hand toward Mercutio's face, and red wisps floated into his mind. She lowered her hand and turned to face Stark.

The mystery woman spoke then in a rolling, Eastern European accent.  “He is called Skurge the Executioner, and he is from Asgard.”

 _Skurge the Executioner? That is not a happy name_ , Darcy thought, her stomach dropping.  Something in Mercutio’s — _Skurge’s?_ — posture changed then. His eyes glanced over at Darcy’s shadowed hiding spot before looking away.  His shoulders slumped, though his head remained high.

_Fuck, no wonder he didn’t give his name.  No way to tell anyone your name without assuming them assuming you’re there to kill them. Did he pick it?_

The mystery women moved closer to Stark and kept speaking in low tones.  Tony’s face paled, brow furrowing.

“Is that the Scarlet Witch?” Darcy whispered.

“I can’t confirm that,” Kwan replied.  “The Scarlet Witch is a wanted fugitive.  This person here is a person dressed in an outfit made out of Wakanda diplomatic pouches, so we are legally prohibited from looking under the mask.  It was the only way to get someone who could verify whatever the alien says.”

“Smart,” Darcy muttered.

“Okay, let’s roll before anyone tries to intercept us,” Stark said.  He gestured for Mer— _Skurge,_ to go first, Stark’s security team carefully watching.  As Skurge walked outside, he cast one last glance back at Darcy.  From so far away, Darcy couldn’t read his expression, but she offered a tremulous smile and waved.  Skurge turned away and walked out into the cold, Stark’s security team following as they loaded up into the quinjet.  As Romero started to push the garage door closed, Darcy watched the quinjet take off and disappear into the night.

The End

  
So is this the end?  No, of course not, but now that everyone knows his name, he isn’t An Alien Named Mercutio.  I’ve made this story part of a series titled “An Alien Named Mercutio,” so please subscribe to see the next thrilling installment.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [An Alien Named Mercutio Part 1: Redux](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14537193) by [vinniebatman](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vinniebatman/pseuds/vinniebatman)




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